Idaho College Murders Update: Bryan Kohberger's 2014 Arrest, Revealed

Bryan Kohberger, the suspect in the Idaho college murders, had previously been arrested in Pennsylvania nine years ago.

Kohberger was charged with misdemeanor theft for reportedly stealing his sister's iPhone, as reported by his father, Michael, who notified the authorities, according to records reviewed by ABC News.

The records reveal that Michael Kohberger informed law enforcement that his son had cautioned him against rash actions after discovering that Bryan had taken the phone.

It was also mentioned that Bryan had been struggling with drug addiction.

Although this earlier encounter with the law is only now being brought to light, as Bryan prepares to defend himself against the charges related to the University of Idaho student deaths, the records indicate that he was 19 years old when he was arrested for the alleged theft in 2014.

Officials have confirmed that he did not serve any jail time. Unfortunately, there is no publicly available information regarding the arrest's specifics or the case's final resolution.

In Monroe County, Pennsylvania, first-time offenders can participate in a pretrial program called "Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition."

This program allows charges to be dropped and the records expunged upon completing probation.

When approached for comment, Martin Souto Diaz, an attorney representing the Kohberger family, declined to provide a statement on the previously mentioned arrest.

The district attorney's office in Monroe County also refrained from commenting.

Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty for Bryan Kohberger

Prosecutors have announced their intention to seek the death penalty against the Idaho college murder suspect Bryan Kohberger, per USA Today.

Latah County prosecutor Bill Thompson stated in a court filing on Monday that no mitigating circumstances would prevent them from considering all available penalties, including capital punishment.

The document stated, "Consequently, considering all evidence currently known to the State, the State is compelled to file this notice of intent to seek the death penalty."

Bryan Kohberger, 28, a former criminology student at Washington State University located nearby, was taken into custody in late December, several weeks after the stabbing deaths of Ethan Chapin, 20; Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; and Xana Kernodle, 20. A roommate discovered their bodies on November 13.

The prosecutors' announcement came around a month after a judge entered a plea of not guilty on Kohberger's behalf for four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary.

Under state law, prosecutors typically have 60 days to formally notify a defendant if they intend to seek the death penalty.

In a related development, it has been reported that Bryan Kohberger's DNA is a "statistical match" to DNA found on a knife sheath at the crime scene where the fatal stabbings of the Idaho students took place.

Bryan Kohberger's Attorney Requests Training Records of Officers Who Investigate Idaho College Murders

During a hearing in Latah County Court, Judge John Judge listened to arguments regarding several motions presented by the defense in the case of Bryan Kohberger.

The defense sought specific details regarding the DNA evidence and information about the grand jury that returned the murder indictment and requested a stay on proceedings to temporarily halt the case from proceeding to trial, per Independent.

A crucial motion put forth by the defense was a request to compel the prosecution to provide all information related to the genetic genealogy and DNA evidence linking Kohberger to the four students' murders.

This encompassed details about the scientists who conducted the DNA testing and the factors that initially led the authorities to suspect Kohberger.

The defense clarified that their objective was not a mere fishing expedition but obtaining the material necessary to construct a robust case in defense of their client.

Among the evidence sought by the defense were the training records of three police officers involved in interviewing crucial witnesses, information about the FBI team leading the criminal investigation, and background details regarding the tip that prompted the search for Kohberger's white Hyundai, as well as the cellphone records mentioned in the probable cause affidavit.

The state argued that the officers' training records were unrelated to the case and that setting a precedent by releasing them could have unfavorable consequences in future cases.

In response, Bryan Kohberger's defense emphasized that they only requested records from three officers who played critical roles in evidence collection, following up on tips, and conducting numerous interviews, despite over 120 officers having worked on the murder investigation.

The judge informed the court that he would issue a written ruling outlining the evidence the prosecution must provide by July 14.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Bryan Kohberger's attorney challenges DNA in Idaho murders case - From TODAY